Breastfeeding as a Booster for Children by Experts

Breast milk serves as the most optimal food for new-borns, it contains the exact right amounts of carbohydrates, fats, proteins and minerals needed by a newly born baby to growth and it is basically completely geared towards the needs of newly born babies.

Breastfed children are less likely to develop childhood illnesses such as pneumonia, but they are also less likely to develop diabetes or obesity later in life, he said. Perhaps even more compelling are the cognitive benefits for children who are breastfed.

“Breastfed children on average gain three IQ points compared to peers who are not breastfed,” said Schultink, who has a PhD in human nutrition and has worked for UNICEF since 1999, referring to intelligence quotient, a score derived from one of several standardized tests designed to assess human intelligence.

However, breastfeeding doesn’t just benefit babies; mothers who breastfeed are less likely to develop breast cancer, and the cognitive and health gains associated with breastfeeding also benefit society as a whole, said Schultink.